Halo 1-4 coming to the Xbox One for $60; Microsoft to unlock Halo 5 beta in December

Halo fans — particularly those who prefer older versions of the classic game — might like what Microsoft announced this morning.

The company will release a remastered compilation of its classic Halo games in a unified experience for its Xbox One later this year. The company announced the new “Master Chief Collection” this morning at the E3 video-game conference in Los Angeles.

The compilation, to sell for $59.99 on Nov. 11, puts Halo 1, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 all on one disc, with more than 100 original multiplayer maps running in high-definition 1080p video at 60 frames per second on dedicated servers. You’ll also have the ability to earn up to 4,000 Gamerscore Achievement points, and pick from curated playlists that let you play every level that features a Warthog, for example.

Xbox also announced that the multiplayer beta for the next version of the game, Halo 5: Guardians, will be available to play in December, and gamers who buy the Master Chief Collection will have access to the beta. Halo: 5 Guardians will debut in 2015.

Bonnie Ross of 343 Industries announces the new compilation

“The Halo franchise is the reason Xbox is here today,” said Microsoft Xbox leader Phil Spencer, after the E3 announcement.

Microsoft also announced a new digital show debuting this fall called Halo Nightfall, a weekly series produced by Ridley Scott that will lead up to the Halo 5 beta and is mean to connect Halo 1-4 with the newest installment. The series will be included with the “Master Chief Collection.”

The company made a series of new game announcements this morning in an all-out blitz designed to recapture the attention of traditional video gamers, aiming to give the Xbox One better traction against the PlayStation 4, which has so far outsold the Microsoft console.